Burglar gun and alarm



(No Model.)

M. .S. HANCOCK & J. JOHNSON.

- BURGLAR GUN AND ALARM.

Patented Oct. 18,1887.

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N. PETERS, PhOiD-Ullmgmphol', Wasllinglo IIITE STATES tries.

PATENT MATHEW S. HANCOCK AND JOSIAH JOHNSON, OF FRENCH LIOK, INDIANA.

BURGLAR GUN AND ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371.838, dated October18., 1887.

Application filed March 21, 1887.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it'known that we, MATHEW S. HANCOCK and JOSIAH JOHNSON, bothresidents of French Lick, in the county of Orange and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burglar Guns andAlarms; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, and in which Figure lis a perspective view of ourburglargun and alarm. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same taken onlinear 00, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane indicated by line ,1 y,Fig. 2, looking upward.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Our invention consists in an improved apparatus which, when arranged inits operative position, will, on the burglar opening the door or windowwhich it is set to guard, automatically discharge the contents of anumber of firearms into the body of the burglar, the noise of thedischarge acting as an alarm to wake the occupants of the house andnotify them that a burglarious entrance has been attempted, and ourinvention will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A indicates theframe ofourinvention, the same consisting of the base A, the side uprights, Aand the connecting top crosspiece, A

In the center of the frame A is journaled a perpendicular shaft, B, uponwhich is rigidly mounted at its upper end a gear-wheel, O, the teeth ofwhich mesh with-those of a similar cog-wheel, D, which is looselymounted on the central portion of a short auxiliary perpendicular shaft,E, the upper end of which extends through and above the top cross-piece,A while its lower endis journaled in a short extension, A at that sideof the frame A; and this short shaft E is formed immediately below theloose cog-wheel D, with a series of inclined teeth, E, formed integralwith it. To the lower side of the loose cog-wheel D is pivoted a pawl,G, the free end of which is pressed in by a spring, H, on the lower sideof the said shaft E. To the opposite side of the gear-wheel- G from thaton which the loose cog-wheel D lies is pivoteda dog or lever, I, whichis formed on one side with an inclined projection or tooth, I, whichengages with the teeth of the gear- Wheel O when the dog is swung in inthat direction.

To the'shaft E, below the teeth E, is firmly secured the inner end of acoiled spring, K, the outer end of which is secured to an upright, L,which connects the extension A with the top piece of the main frame.

Up0n the lower part of the central shaft, B, is firmly mounted aplatform, M, preferably circnlar in form, and upon this platform areremovably mounted a number of fire-arms, N, which may be five or more innumber; or a less number may be employed, if desired.

. These fire-arms are arranged, as shown, with their triggers Nextending down outside of the outer edge of the platform on which theyare mounted, for the purpose hereinafter specified.

The upper outer end of the shaft E is squared to adapt it to receive ahandle or key; or it may be permanently provided with. such a key; andin order to place the device in operative condition'the shaft E isrotated to the right, so as to wind up the spring K, the dog or leverIhaving previously been swung in until its tooth or projection I engageswith the teeth of the gear-wheel O on the main shaft.

It will be seen that as the short shaft E is rotated to the right thecoils of the coiled spring will be wound or tightened around it, whilethe teeth of the gear-wheel O, which is itself held stationary by thedog I, meshing with the teeth of the loosely-mounted cogwheel D, willhold the said cog-wheel and prevent it from revolving with the shaft E,and as the said shaft rotates the series of inclined teeth E, formedintegral with it, will slide under the end of the spring-actuated pawlG,the 9 free end of which, engaging with the straight edge of the saidteeth E, will hold the shaft E and prevent it from slipping or turningbackward, and thus hold the spring in its wound or tightened positionuntil it is released in the manner which will be now de scribed.

The lower part of the frame is inolosed for about three-quarters of itsouter extent by a chine against the possibility of danger from apremature discharge of the fire-arms, and around the open space P in theshi'eld,through which the fire arms are discharged,is arranged thedischarge-wire Q, which is secured at one end in. the frame A,asshown,slightly eccentric with the center of the frame A, in such amanner that although the triggers of the fire-arms may pass readily pastthe free end of the said wire,they will,as the main shaft is rotated,bepressed against the fixed portion of the said wire, so as to be drawn orrather pressed back sufficiently far to discharge the fire-arm atthemoment when its muzzle is pointing at the opening P in the shield.

The shaft E having been rotated as above described to wind up the springK,the dog I being pushed in to hold the gear-wheel O, and theloosely-mounted cog-wheel D stationary, and the fire-arms having beenloaded, the frame A is placed in position at the door or window which itis to guard,with the'openi'ng P in the nearly, circular shield 1?completely covering the said door or window, and the outer end of thelever or dog I is connected by means of a cord, Q,which we shall callthe operatingcord, to the door or window, the said cord passing oversmall guides or pulleys R, which are so arranged that when the door orwindow is openedfrom the outside the cord will be drawn so as to drawback the free end of the lever or dog I, thus releasing the gearwheel 0of the main shaft which carries the fire-arms, and also releasing thecog-wheel D, which, while free to turn in one direction on the shaft E,on which it is loosely mounted, is held by the spring-actuated pawl Gfrom turning in the opposite direction without carrying the shaft E withit; or, in other words, while the shaft E can turn in one direction, tothe right, without moving the cog-wheel D, it is impossible for it toturn back to the left until the said cog-wheel is released and allowedto turn with it. The cog-wheel being released by the drawing back of thedog I as the door or window is opened, the tension of the spring II asit nnwinds rotates the shaft E rapidly, and the cogwheel D, mesh ingwith the gear-wheel O on the main shaft B, rotates the said shaftrapidly to the right, and with it the gun-platform, which the main shaftcarries, and the fire-arms, which are supported on the said platform Mand it will be seen that as the muzzles of the fire arms come oppositeand point through the opening 1? in the shield P their triggers N willbe pressed against the discharge-wire Q, so as to discharge each of thefire-arms at the moment when its muzzle is pointing out through theshield-opening 1?, the guns being rapidly discharged in successionthrough the said vwhich the device is set to guard.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings,

the construction, operation, and advantages of our invention will bereadily understood. It will be seen that it is simple and strong inconstruction, and therefore not liable to break or get out of order, andthat it will effectually defend the door or window at which it ismounted, and while shooting down the burglar or burglars who may seek toforce an entrance, will, by the noise produced by the discharge of thefirearms, arouse and alarm the occupants of the house and summon them tothe scene.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is I 1. In a burglar gun oralarm, the combination, with the frame of the main shaft journaledtherein, of one ormore fire arms adapted to be carried by the saidshaft, the discharge-wire formed in cam shape and loeated-in the pathwayof the triggers of said fire-arms, and adapted to engage said triggersand discharge the fire-arms in their rotary movement, and means,substantially as described, for automatically rotating the said shaft,substantially as set fort-h. 1

2. In a burglar gun or alarm, the combination, with the frame of themain shaft journaled therein, having the platform, of the seriesoffire-arms mounted thereon, the discharge-wire formed in cam shapeandlocated in the pathway of the triggers of said firearms and adaptedto engage said triggers and discharge the fire-arms in their rotarymovement, and means, substantially as described, for automaticallyrotating the said shaft, substantially in the manner andfor the purposeset forth. 1

3. In a burglar gun or alarm, the combination, with the frame of themain shaft journaled therein, having the platform, of the series offire-arms mounted thereon, the discharge-wire formed in cam shape andlocated in the pathway of the triggers of said firearms and adapted toengage said triggers and discharge the fire-arms in their rotarymovement, means, substantially as described, for automatically rotatingthe shaft, and the shield having the opening opposite thedischarge-wire, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a burglar gun or alarm, the combination of the frame of the mainshaft journaled therein, having the gear-wheel and the platform, theshort shaft having the teeth formed on it, the coiled spring,'theloosely-mounted cog-wheel having the spring-actuated pawl, the dogformed with the tooth or projection and the operatingcord, the seriesoffire-arms mounted on the said platform, andthe discharge-wire,substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. In a burglar gun or alarm, the combinasite the discharge-Wire,substantially as and tion of the frame of the main shaft journaled forthe purpose set forth. therein, having the gear-wheel and the plat- Intestimony that We olaim the foregoing as form, the short shaft havingthe teeth formed our own we have hereunto affixed our signa- 5 on it,the spring, the loosely mounted eogtures in presence of two witnesses.

wheel having the spring-actuated pawl, the MATHEW S. HANCOCK. dog formedwith the tooth or projection and JOSIAH JOHNSON.

the operatingcord, the series of fire arms Witnesses:

mounted on the said platform, the discharge- GEORGE W. TEAFORD,

10 wire, and the 'shield having the opening oppo- JOSEPH A.WEEKs.

